Antrim lives up to its name as a sectarian cesspit

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Feck me people really need to wise up
PS...over on Slugger it states Watson has said "Since the story broke today I have been in touch with the GAA club in question and stressed that I was not involved in the complaint." Some talk of the councillor concerned being from the PUP.

This coming from the idiots who organised boycotts of shops in Belfast and Aldergrove airport for not supplying six county soccer regalia! Idiots who want to boycott pubs in Belfast because they won't allow six county soccer fans to wear their soccer tops into the establishments. MW who really needs to wise up?  

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

I'm trying to keep it sensible between us Roger, but I'm nothing liking the link you made between the GAA in Antrim and the murders of the two British Soldiers.

I am not in any way or have any intention to link them. I was being accusatory towards the polarised attitudes in Antrim at this time. 

Fair enough, but by the same hand people say that the IFA polarises the community.

I'm not trying to be twisting here or anything. I just think it's better to argue with reason, than mindless ramblings which gets everyone annoyed.

Ziggy you've hit the nail on the head there re: Roger.

[Roger]

Fair enough, but by the same hand people say that the IFA polarises the community.

I'm not trying to be twisting here or anything. I just think it's better to argue with reason, than mindless ramblings which gets everyone annoyed.

Well you asked me why I wasn't surprised and I told you.  Football isn't relevant to this issue with GAA/Tesco, the polarised positions and temperature of attitudes in Antrim and towards the GAA is relevant. It wasn't a mindless rambling, it was answering your question fairly directly I would have thought.

[saffron sam2]

How do you view the GAA yourself in terms of what it does for communities?

I see an organisation providing recreational activities and a social outlet in order to meet a Political goal.  Those activities look like they are enjoyed by nationalist communities throughout Ireland and have a positive and binding effect on those communities.

In my time as a member of the GAA, not once was I asked about my politics. I have only ever seen an organisation that provides recreational activities and a social outlet.

I guess I can see where you're coming from Roger, but we'll have to agree to disagree. The GAA is not working towards a United Ireland. True, it promotes Irish Cultural and Sport, but it isn't working towards a UI.

If you're referring to Casement Park, that's a matter for Antrim GAA. Croke Park has voiced their dissatisfaction over it.

Now, to use your terms. The IFA and Linfield in particular are political organisations because they are Unionist/Loyalist organisation, working on keeping the Union with British in place in the north-eastern part of Ireland. With support from Loyalist communities and the OO, they too should be banned from public areas.

Personally I don't have a problem with the IFA and just ignore Linfield. If I see someone in a Linfield.. so what... 9/10 they're good people. Maybe Windsor Park's different, but T Fearon can fill me in on the details.

It is another issue about comparisons with football and how football is organised globally. I don't agree and we're not likely to agree either Ziggy as we've been over it before.  However, whether the GAA or you like it the organisation is polarised into the nationalist community in Northern Ireland where republicanism dominates.

You mentioned Antrim GAA and it's not lost on people that 2 people were murdered in cold blood there and others seriously injured there by republicans only last month.  That is why I am not surprised by the complaint to Tescos for assisting fundraising to the GAA.  I don't agree with the complaint but I'm not surprised by it.  It is not necessary for those who are  / feel excluded from the GAA to change their attitude to it even though many within the GAA demand it and call names to anyone who disagrees with it. 

Assuming that you are taking the republicanism dominates line from the surge in Sinn Fein votes (within roughly the last ten years). Can I then ask how the GAA would have been seen by yourself in the preceding 115 odd years whn republicanism didn't dominate? Does the polarisation have more to do with the polarised community than the organisation itself?

[Roger]

Assuming that you are taking the republicanism dominates line from the surge in Sinn Fein votes (within roughly the last ten years). Can I then ask how the GAA would have been seen by yourself in the preceding 115 odd years whn republicanism didn't dominate? Does the polarisation have more to do with the polarised community than the organisation itself?

I think policies pursued by the GAA made the GAA more Political in preceding years.  It is only an observation (don't know if it is true) but there seems to be a softening or at the very least a desire to soften the overtly Political stuff within the GAA in the Republic.  This hasn't happened in NI where additionally in some areas both communities are very much polarised in the first instance.  Subsequently the results aren't good for any organisation that has Political bias or is dominated by one community or the other.

[mylestheslasher]

A simple question is why are certain elements in the Unionist community anti GAA? The simple answer to that question is that their political representatives have held up the GAA as being a haven for violent republicanism. Its the politics of fear all over again. You get people to fear something, you oppose that something strongly and the people will support you. We have seen loyalist throws bags of urine at primary school children walking to school, its hardly a surprise that they would complain strongly about the terrible crime of a child wearing their clubs jersey in public. Perhaps these antrim unionists would like the penal laws to be reinstated? The GAA can only do so much to educate people that are this ignorant and this angry. It is up to the politicians in the unionist community to stop being afraid of everything the "other side" do, stop pedalling fear and start interacting with their catholic neighbours.

[Katchit]

From a purely personal perspective of that of a member of a GAA club I can't fathom why there is this political tag being branded.

The GAA for me is all about playing a sport, embracing our culture and the social bonding that exists within our clubs - Not once have I ever thought of it as a political entity but then again that's my personal opinion and I see nothing mentioned with the GAA's own objectives.

Ironically I think it's those who view the GAA as some sort of political nationalist/republicanism monster to look inwardly at their own attitudes without the usualy prevalient bigotted attitude associated with these insular people.

I wouldn't embrace any organisation that is racist, bigotted or used some sort of political tool as I've no time for any of these peripheries that are so often associated with life in N.Ireland.

I train, support the club, play football, enjoy the social aspect afterwards, such polarisation indeed.

[Ari]

Feck me people really need to wise up
PS...over on Slugger it states Watson has said "Since the story broke today I have been in touch with the GAA club in question and stressed that I was not involved in the complaint." Some talk of the councillor concerned being from the PUP.

This coming from the idiots who organised boycotts of shops in Belfast and Aldergrove airport for not supplying six county soccer regalia! Idiots who want to boycott pubs in Belfast because they won't allow six county soccer fans to wear their soccer tops into the establishments. MW who really needs to wise up?  

To be fair, imagine not being allowed to wear your GAA shirts into bars in Belfast.

Imagine not being allowed to wear ROI shirts into bars in Dublin.

And I'm talking about bars that show football, and I'm talking about while the football is on.

[longrunsthefox]

Jees!   Ari, you are ugly! 

[Maguire01]

I wouldn't embrace any organisation that is racist, bigotted or used some sort of political tool as I've no time for any of these peripheries that are so often associated with life in N.Ireland.

Couldn't agree more.

[ziggysego]

Jees!   Ari, you are ugly! 

[longrunsthefox]

Who are you? Brad Pitt?!!   

[ziggysego]

Who are you? Brad Pitt?!!   

I'm Ziggy and that's all you'll know.

Anyway, you saw me at the MacRory Cup Final with your two lads. Thankfully they're not as a bitter as you.

[Tonto]

Some valid points there, I would never wear a Tyrone jersey in places like Ballymena, Lisburn, Belfast City centre etc, but this was a 'bag packing' fundraiser. 

Let it not be forgotten about the hardship endured by 'Goals Will Come' after wearing a Tyrone jersey to a Northern Ireland game at Windsor 

Do you mean Jerome Quinn?

What hardship?

I thought his main complaint was that no-one even ackowledged him?  It seems he wanted abuse but was treated just like everyone else.  Still, it's the spin that gets put on these things.

[Main Street]

I think Tescos responded appropriatly.
Any complaint or anger should not be directed their way.

Hard to credit though that some think the backwood loudmouth bigots have some amount of legit justification for being a backwood bigot.